The first 2 days and nights in the van has taught me to use a site to check a routes' altitude changes, after going up 2 huge mountains in my 21 year old van. I've also been working while I travel, using a Europe-wide wifi hotspot that's been amazing so far.
It's the first time Diva-cat has been a traveller, besides being put in a car to go to the vet, so of course she hates it and wails most of the time until she's worn out and then she quiets down. Most of all she hates tunnels, but I remember how scary, dark and noisy they are as a child, so I get it.
I started on Tuesday lunchtime from lake Zurich and drove east to just before the Austrian border. The night was spent in a big carpark, for free. In the morning I drove through Feldkirch - a Medieval city with towers and a turquoise raging river that has been a feature right through the eastwards journey through Austria.
The second night was a pretty nice carpark in a small town with a grassy field next-door that Diva enjoyed (6 Euros, but no electricity). By the morning my camper battery was getting low so I had to get to a site with electric to carry on working.
Today I arrived in Wald Im Pinzgau (Austria) after the 2nd nightmare drive up and over and down a mountain. It was snowing at the top. I didn’t realise when I started from the ground level that I’d be passing the snow line and continue to go up! Diva was scared, I was scared. You never know when it’s just a better idea to turn around and do 3 more hours after that instead!
Where I’m staying is a guesthouse and restaurant with an amazing view over a valley - it was a bit of an effort for the van to get up here as well, as it's part way up a mountain. They have free wifi and water services for just 8 Euros per night, and 3 Euros for electricity, as the camper battery is flat I think and needs to be replaced - or maybe I need another solar panel, I’m no expert on this, but I’m getting there. Because it’s so nice here, I’ll probably stay 3 nights. They even have a veggie dish which is like cannelloni pasta, a speciality in this area, so I’ll probably sit inside tomorrow to get away from the rain for a bit, and see the fantastic view down the valley from a warmer seat.
I let Diva out in the rain tonight as she begged to go out as usual, and she just sat shivering in the rain under the cover of a small hut in the parking area until I tried to rescue her with an umbrella - she hissed, so I have up for a while and then called her over again with food and she came in this time.
It’s really lovely to have her here with me and most of the time she's as content as she is at home. After being moved on from so many rental 'homes' she's as used to moving as I am. It's just a logical step to live in a tiny house on wheels. More fun, less money, more freedom, no shitty flatmates or rental agents, while avoiding debt slavey / mortgages.
And the next morning we woke up to heavy snow - so will be forced to stay until the snow is gone...
